Will Benign PAC’s Progress into something more serious with time?

[Hubcap529]

52 year old male.

I have been bothered by PAC’s for about 12 years.
When first diagnosed I had series of tests (all normal) EKG, Echo, Stress, Tilt Table, and Halter Monitors (of course I never had an attack while wearing the halter).

Now in addition to the usual attacks lasting several hours of 10+ extra beats per minute, with some consecutive doubles and triples, I get a brief (less than a second) feeling of blood pressure drop in my head followed by a very strong single beat, then everything is back to normal.  

I also have short periods (10-15 seconds) of very very strong, repeated, extra beats (perhaps a dozen) then all goes back to normal except for the Panic Attack as I wonder what just happened.  These are much stronger than the flutter I usually feel during the PAC attacks.

Could the very strong beats be an example of PVC vs PAC?

Thanks for your Web Site

[palpgirl]

I also have many many palps and recently had the machine gun type where it beats so very fast for about 5 seconds and returns to normal.  usually i have the flopping ones that feel like skipped beats.  I also have been tested thouroughly and they tell me that it is very common and that I will be fine.  I do get very anxious and worry, but the more i read and learn the better i feel.  I think they are very common and i hope all goes well for you.  

[Cleveland Clinic]

It is impossible to distinguish PACs from PVCs based on symptoms. Perhaps the PACs are occurring at times when the AV valves are closed and hence causing the feeling of strong beats. This very strong beat can also occur if there is a long pause, such as that following a PAC. What happens is predicated by Starling's law of the heart, where the levels of contractility of the heart  ( the strength of contraction), is proportional to the period between the two prior heart beats. This may be because of intracellular calcium increases during the long P R intervals, but no-one really knows. The reason for the pause has to do with the prematurity of the PAC beat, and the inhibition of the native pacemakers by the PAC.

[Momto3]

Maybe you could ask you doctor for an event monitor.  With an event monitor, you could record the event as it occurs.  That way, your doctor would be able to figure out what you are experiencing.

Good luck!